India to host Caspian oil ministers meeting in October"In the week beginning October 17, we propose to host the oil ministers from Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan to a meeting with four prime Asian buyers - the Chinese, Japanese, Korean and of course Indian," Indian Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said today. - 5/31/05

Basra out of control, says chief of policeThe chief of police in Basra admitted yesterday that he had effectively lost control of three-quarters of his officers and that sectarian militias had infiltrated the force and were using their posts to assassinate opponents. -Guardian - 5/31/05

AFGHANISTAN: Life one year after disarmamentThe United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are supporting Kabul's efforts to honourably decommission the Afghan Military Forces (AMF). - 5/31/05

'Tank girl' army accused of tortureEvidence obtained by the Guardian backs a report by Human Rights Watch. This makes detailed accusations of abuse, including deaths under interrogation, against the "People's Mujahideen" of Iran (MKO). -Guardian - 5/31/05

Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji granted leave from prisonJailed journalist Akbar Ganji was granted a weeklong leave for medical reasons late Sunday night, subject to a probable extension depending on his medical report, judiciary officials announced Monday. Speaking to a group of journalists, who met him at his home Monday, Ganji called for the release of all jailed political activists and journalists. - 5/30/05

Iran blocks sale of Persian artifact in LondonIran has started proceedings at the High Court in London to stop Christie's auction house selling an ancient limestone artifact from Persepolis, worth more than Pnds 300,000 (Dlrs 540,000). - 5/30/05

Iran: Temporary Marriages On The RiseThe Islamic practice of "sighe" or temporary marriages - widely condemned by reformists and women's rights activists - is on the rise in Iran where the number of such unions increased by nine percent over the previous year. -AKI - 5/30/05

Experts: Petroleum May Be Nearing PeakCould the petroleum joyride — cheap, abundant oil that has sent the global economy whizzing along with the pedal to the metal and the AC blasting for decades — be coming to an end? Some observers of the oil industry think so. -AP - 5/30/05

Arash breaks cultural barriersI HEARD the music and thought the words were familiar but at first could not place the language. I turned up the radio and the words hit me smack in the face. They were in Persian, the language spoken in Iran. On a Bratislava radio station! -Slovak Spectator - 5/30/05

Blog SpringHossein Derakhshan is on tour. In the past few years, he has become the public face of Iran's beleaguered bloggers, more than a dozen of whom have been arrested for their politics. -Wired - 5/30/05

An uneasy balance: Democracy and U.S. terror strategySamuel Bodman, the new U.S. secretary of energy, led an American delegation to Azerbaijan recently to celebrate a huge moment in America's effort to diversify its sources of oil: the opening of a pipeline that will carry Caspian oil to the West, on a route that avoids Russia and Iran. -New York Times - 5/29/05

Iranian reformist candidate Moin will run for presidentFormer minister Mostafa Moin announced Saturday that he had overcome his 'heavy doubts' to run at the June 17 presidential election, pledging to take up the reform mantle and challenge the 'unconstitutional' powers of the Guardian Council. - 5/29/05

Musharraf denies Iran bomb remarkPakistan has denied that President Pervez Musharraf told a German magazine that Iran was "very anxious" to have a nuclear bomb. Iran demanded an urgent clarification after the comments were carried in Der Spiegel magazine on Saturday. -BBC - 5/29/05

Iran TV slams foreign 'propaganda'An Iranian television channel has accused foreign media organisations of interfering in the country's forthcoming presidential election, just three days after the official start of the campaign. -BBC - 5/29/05

Iran Agrofood 2005 opens in TehranThe 12th International Food, Food Processing and Agricultural Trade Fair (Iran Agrofood 2005) opened here at the site of Tehran Permanent Fairground on Sunday. Some 264 domestic and 176 foreign companies from 22 countries participated in the four-day exhibition which is held in a 22,000-sqm area. - 5/29/05

Iran: Eight new steel producing plants to be establishedEight new steel producing plants would be established in different parts of the country, the English-language `Iran Daily' wrote Sunday. The factories would be established in Bandar Abbas, Kerman, Zarand, Sirjan, Bafq, Ardakan, Meybod and Torbat-e Heidarieh. - 5/29/05

Iran's President-to-Be Faces Daunting TasksIran’s presidential campaign formally opened May 25, and Ali Akhbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the country’s foremost political tactician, is the early front-runner. Although he’s the likely the winner of the June 17 election, spirited hardliner opposition could prevent him from implementing his reform-oriented political agenda. -Eurasianet - 5/29/05

Pipeline to Promise or Pipeline to Peril?A U.S.-backed oil pipeline linking the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean opened on Wednesday, and began moving crude oil from Azerbaijan to the West. The route of the pipeline is reportedly designed to only go through nations with strong U.S. support like Azerbaijan and Georgia, which have both been criticized for human rights abuses. We also examine why many believe the pipeline could be could be an environmental disaster for the region. -Democracy Now - 5/29/05

World Bank approves loan for two projects in Iran's Caspian provincesThe World Bank has approved a total of $344 million in loans for two projects to support the Iranian government. The loan will be used in delivering a clean and reliable water supply and sanitation to poor urban neighborhoods and boosting agricultural productivity in farming communities. - 5/28/05

From Tehran to TorontoCanada has one of the largest and most successful Iranian immigrant communities in the world, with an estimated 85,000 living in the country, according to the nation's 2003 census. -BBC - 5/28/05

Decorative Islamic Arts Popular among Auction BuyersWilliam Robinson is the director of the Islamic and Carpet Department of Christie’s Auction House, who amidst his busy schedule of several meetings, taking a tour of the Manouchehri Street (the center of Iranian art dealers shops), and the Iranian Museum of Contemporary Arts in his second and final day of stay in Tehran, accepted to have an interview with us at his lunch time. - 5/28/05

Iran Khodro opens branch in MashhadFirst Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref arrived in the provincial capital of Mashhad in northeastern Iran on Friday to attend the inaugural ceremony of the first phase of the provincial Iran Khodro Auto Manufacturing Plant in the new town of Binaloud. - 5/28/05

Nancy Pelosi Gives a Pep Talk to AIPACRep. Nancy Pelosi’s recent speech to the Israeli-American lobby (AIPAC) ought to be a clarion call for peace activists. Her address did not contain any big surprises. But it is, nonetheless, remarkable for its transparency. The speech (see below for the text) affords a up-close look at what Pelosi thinks about Israel, the Palestinians, the Mideast, and nukes. -Common Dreams - 5/28/05

The U.S. Removes the Nuclear BrakesUnder the cloak of secrecy imparted by use of military code names, the American administration has been taking a big - and dangerous - step that will lead to the transformation of the nuclear bomb into a legitimate weapon for waging war. -Haaretz - 5/28/05

Viewpoint: A lost nuclear opportunityThe month-long Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), the cornerstone of international efforts to prevent nuclear weapons from spreading has ended. Jon B Wolfsthal from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace gives his view on why little progress was made. -BBC - 5/28/05

Egypt: Calls for Reform Met With BrutalityHuman Rights Watch expressed dismay at the response of U.S. officials to the state-sponsored violence in Cairo. When Agence-France Presse asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about it, she replied that she had “not seen the reports you are talking about.” - 5/28/05

Iran: An economy on the move?For some observers it is inefficient, bloated and over-reliant on oil revenues, for others it has the potential to become a leading light in the Middle East. -BBC - 5/27/05

Europeans offer Iran 'detailed' nuclear proposalThe Europeans proposed Wednesday to offer Iran a detailed plan for nuclear cooperation in the next two months, which prompted the top Iranian negotiator to state that a deal is not out of reach now. - 5/27/05

SAF launches online coursware for Iranian studentsAs part of its effort to promote e-learning methods and articulate the advantages of online educational tools among students and educators at the high school level, the Science and Arts Foundation has designed and implemented 3 online courses for SchoolNet members. - 5/27/05

Iran, EU Still Seen As Far Apart On Nuclear IssuesDuring talks in Geneva yesterday, Iran renewed its pledge not to pursue nuclear weapons. In return, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany promised to provide Tehran with fresh proposals by the end of July or the beginning of August aimed at securing a deal. - 5/27/05

WTO to Begin Membership Talks with IranAfter nine years of beating on the doors of the World Trade Organization, Iran has been allowed to begin negotiations to join the body. The deal was struck after the United States dropped its long-standing veto. - 5/27/05

Media Fast For Iranian Blogger Mojtaba SaminejadMojtaba Saminejad, a blogger from Iran, has declared a hunger strike. He is being held at Tehran’s Gohar Dashat prison, which has a reputation for mistreatment of detainees. He is being held in the general population, the overwhelming majority of which are common criminals. -Committee to Protect Bloggers - 5/27/05

Dining out in PersiaAccording to Barry Wood, a curator in the Asian Department of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, , the panel is said to have come from Chihil Sutun, a royal pavilion in Isfahan, Iran. Several members of the V&A staff, including Wood, went to Iran last autumn and visited Chihil Sutun. -CSM - 5/27/05

Uzbekistan's independent media face reprisals after Andijan unrestIndependent journalists and local reporters working for foreign media, who witnessed recent violence in the eastern city of Andijan, came under increased pressure and were subjected to serious criticism, as Uzbekistan faces continuing demands for an independent international investigation into the killings of 13 May. - 5/27/05

Give Rumsfeld the Pinochet Treatment, Says US Amnesty Chief If the administration of President George W. Bush fails to conduct a truly independent investigation of U.S. abuses against detainees in Iraq and elsewhere, foreign governments should investigate and prosecute those senior officials who bear responsibility for them, the head of the U.S. chapter of Amnesty International said here Wednesday. -IPS - 5/27/05

Iran: Forty billion dollars in foreign debtIran owes an estimated 40 billion dollars in foreign debt, according to Iran's Central Bank governor, Ibrahim Sheibani. He has also calculated that the country has around 30 billion reserves in foreign currency, a significant increase in the past few years, largely due to the boom in oil prices. -AKI - 5/27/05

EU says to expand energy cooperation with IranThe European Union indicated strong determination to promote energy cooperation with Iran on Thursday when a top EU energy official said the union looks at Iran as one of its most important energy suppliers. - 5/27/05

Iranian female climbers ready to scale Mount EverestFarkhondeh Sadegh and Leila Bahrami, two gritty women are leading a team of seven Iranian women to the daunting task of climbing the world's tallest mountain peak, Mount Everest, `The Hindu' reported from New Delhi on Friday. - 5/27/05

U.S. WEAPONS AT WAR 2005: Promoting freedom or fueling conflict? Arms Trade Resource Center at New York-based New School University's World Policy Institute has just published a comprehensive report that focuses on U.S. Military Aid and Arms Transfers Since September 11. According to this report, "the United States transfers more weapons and military services than any other country in the world." - 5/26/05

Censorship is an Issue in Iranian Elections Journalists in Iran are anxiously awaiting the upcoming election in their country June 17th. Under Iran's current Reformist president, there was an initial easing of censorship of the arts and media, followed by crackdowns during the past few years. Many journalists are wondering if the recent trend will continue. - 5/26/05

Iranian Politicians Change Their Vocabulary, Albeit Slowly The discourse of Iranian politicians has diversified since the country's 1979 revolution. The language of revolutionary struggle has come to include the terminology of civic rights, rule of law, and open government, as some politicians have sought to respond to growing demands by Iranians for more liberties and less meddling in their lives. - 5/26/05

Amnesty International Report 2005During 2004, the human rights of ordinary men, women and children were disregarded or grossly abused in every corner of the globe. Economic interests, political hypocrisy and socially orchestrated discrimination continued to fan the flames of conflict around the world. The “war on terror” appeared more effective in eroding international human rights principles than in countering international “terrorism”. - 5/26/05

Earthquake hits Khuzestan and Gilan provinces in IranA mild earthquake measuring 3.6 on Richter scale jolted suburbs of the city of Lali in southwestern province of Khuzestan Thursday. Another earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale hit suburbs of the northern city of Astara in the Caspian Sea province of Gilan Thursday morning. - 5/26/05

French Fries Protester Regrets War JibeIt was a culinary rebuke that echoed around the world, heightening the sense of tension between Washington and Paris in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq. But now the US politician who led the campaign to change the name of french fries to "freedom fries" has turned against the war. -Guardian - 5/26/05

Caucasus/Central Asia: Analysts Expect Security, Economic Gains From BTC PipelineThe leaders of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and Kazakhstan gathered near Baku today to inaugurate the $4 billion Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. The project is generally viewed as the key element of an overall plan to turn the Caucasus region into a transport corridor connecting Central Asia to Western Europe. - 5/26/05

WTO agrees entry talks with IranThe World Trade Organisation has agreed to allow Iran to begin membership talks after the US lifted its opposition to Tehran joining the body. - 5/26/05

EU, Iran prepare for energy and transport talksIranian deputy oil minister for international affairs, Mohammad Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian, arrived in Brussels Wednesday to participate in the fourth meeting of the European Union-Iran working group on energy and transport on Thursday. - 5/26/05

EU, Iran relationship enters decisive phaseThe European Union and the Islamic Republic of Iran are to hold negotiations in Geneva on Wednesday which could be crucial for future development of ties between the two sides. - 5/25/05

Iran, Switzerland sign trade agreement Iran and Switzerland signed on Tuesday a non-preferential trade agreement to boost economic cooperation. According to the first ever mutual trade agreement, Iran and Switzerland are entitled to the protection of intellectual property. - 5/25/05

US mulling stance on latest Iran bid to join WTOThe United States has not decided whether it will again block Iran's application to join the World Trade Organization, a top U.S. trade official said on the eve of high-level nuclear talks between Iran and the European Union's three biggest powers. -Reuters - 5/25/05

Egypt votes on election changesEgyptians are voting on possible changes to the constitution that would allow presidential elections to be contested for the first time. -BBC - 5/25/05

Iran's elections cast a shadow on nuclear talksEurope's stuttering efforts to ensure that Iran does not build a nuclear bomb are due to resume Wednesday with a new round of high-level talks, but the shadow of upcoming presidential elections in Tehran has dimmed hopes of progress, say experts following the negotiations. -CSM - 5/25/05

U.S., NATO nuclear policies 'immoral' - McNamaraU.S. and NATO nuclear policies are immoral, dangerous and destructive for the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, a former Defense Secretary from the Vietnam War era, Robert McNamara, said on Tuesday. -Reuters - 5/25/05

Iran will continue talks if EU shows goodwill: MousavianIran will continue nuclear negotiations with Europe if the European Union remains committed to Paris agreement and shows goodwill, Hossein Mousavian, a member of Iran's negotiating team, said in Geneva on Wednesday. - 5/25/05

Pre-Campaign Campaigning Under Way in IranThe big issue in Iranian politics this week is the vetting of candidates for the 17 June presidential election by the Guardians Council -- an unelected body of six clerics and six lawyers. - 5/25/05

Stricter rules for Afghans in IranThe Director General of the Iranian interior ministry's Bureau of Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA) has announced stricter limitations on Afghans living in Iran, the reformist daily newspaper Sharq reported on Sunday. - 5/24/05

EU FMs discuss Iran's nuclear program European Union foreign ministers discussed Monday the latest developments in nuclear negotiations currently underway with Iran and Germany, France and the UK with the support of EU High Representative for a common foreign and security policy, Javier Solana. - 5/24/05

Iran warns EU over nuclear talksTalks on Wednesday with the European Union about Iran's nuclear programme have only a 50-50 chance of success, a leading Iranian negotiator has warned. -BBC - 5/24/05

A Violent Cycle in IraqRetaliatory Killings, Mainly Involving Shias and Sunnis, Threaten to Throw Country into Deadly Civil War -News Day - 5/24/05

Iranians back drive for nuclear power As nuclear talks between Iran and Europe are approaching crisis point, Iranian television has started showing a series of long advertisements telling people why they need nuclear power. -BBC - 5/24/05

Backing for Iranian journalists who have begun daily protests Reporters Without Borders today voiced strong support for the Iranian journalists who yesterday began a series of daily demonstrations outside the parliament building in protest against harassment and other press freedom violations, especially as regards press coverage of parliament. - 5/24/05

Reflections On Iran’s Prison System During The Montazeri Years (1985-1988)Events of June 1981 were a turning point in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). It was during this period that the cleric-dominated faction within the ruling elite of the IRI moved to eliminate both its opposition outside the state apparatus and its factional opposition, commonly called the “Islamic liberals” -Maziar Behrooz - 5/23/05

Iran urged to review diplomatic ties with CanadaThe National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament urged the government Sunday to review diplomatic ties with Canada as a spat between the two countries over the death of a female journalist widened. - 5/23/05

Israeli Arsenal Vexes Nuclear NegotiatorsThe U.S. administration has sought to keep a tight focus on the suspected nuclear activities of Iran and North Korea at month-long talks here on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). But other countries also have highlighted the impact of Israel's nuclear weapons arsenal on efforts to establish a Middle East nuclear-free zone. -Antiwar - 5/23/05

Iran may give 50% of Pars LNG shares to Total Iranian gas officials have said that they plan to give 50 percent of the shares for the development of Pars LNG project to Total following the decision by Malaysia's Petronas to withdraw from the project, local press reported in Tehran on Monday. - 5/23/05

Iran and Spain Signed Tourism MOUA high status delegation from Spain’s Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Tourism traveling to Iran met yesterday with Hussein Mar’ashi, director of the Iranian Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, signing a MOU for the development of tourism industry. - 5/23/05

Analysis: Iran's candidate cullThe decision to disqualify all credible reformist and liberal candidates may have serious internal and international consequences for the Islamic republic. -BBC - 5/23/05

US military to build four giant new bases in IraqUS military commanders are planning to pull back their troops from Iraq's towns and cities and redeploy them in four giant bases in a strategy they say is a prelude to eventual withdrawal. -Guardian - 5/23/05

Iran's nuclear tactics send delegates into interactive dystopiaIn the bowels of the Washington Convention Centre lurks an interactive dystopia: a step by step guide to how Iran is "pursuing nuclear weapons and how it can be stopped". The tour is the brainchild of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and has been created for its largest ever policy conference, which began yesterday. AIPAC has made fears about Iran's nuclear intentions a central plank of its congressional agenda. -Financial Times - 5/23/05

Return to IranBefore the 1979 revolution in Iran, the country’s ties to American higher education were extensive. Thousands of Iranian students enrolled at American colleges. And American researchers maintained numerous long-term projects in Iran, studying its archaeology, history, faiths, and languages. -Inside Higher Ed, DC - 5/22/05

Envoy casts doubt on acceptance of Iran's application to WTOThe Iran Plenipotentiary Office in the World Trade Organization (WTO) said in Tehran on Saturday that likelihood of acceptance of Iran's new application to join the world trade body is hard to predict. Tehran is to submit its request on the WTO's May 26th session. - 5/22/05

Opec remarks may pump oil priceHigher oil prices may be looming on the horizon once again after comments from Opec oil ministers over the weekend. -BBC - 5/22/05

The Unknown Unknowns of the Abu Ghraib ScandalIt's been over a year since I published a series of articles in the New Yorker outlining the abuses at Abu Ghraib. There have been at least 10 official military investigations since then - none of which has challenged the official Bush administration line that there was no high-level policy condoning or overlooking such abuse. -Seymour Hersh - 5/22/05

Writing behind the veilThere is a raft of new books about Iran. In Journey From the Land of No (Crown, $22.95), Roya Hakakian chronicles how the hope and euphoria felt by many Iranians after the shah's ousting was converted to dread and foreboding as it became clear that they had traded monarchy for a life dictated by religious fundamentalists and their brutal enforcers. In Persepolis 2 (Jonathan Cape, $39.95), a comic-strip memoir, Marjane Satrapi tells ... -Age, Australia - 5/22/05

The unipolar transition moment and the Persian Gulf warsIt has become a truism that the transformation of the international system at the end of the Cold War provided the global context for the Second Gulf War and its aftermath. During the Iran-Iraq war, the US refrained from deploying massive military force in the Persian Gulf because of the opposition of the Soviet Union, limiting its regional actions to containing a unipolar configuration in the area. -Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, Tharwa - 5/22/05

Iran raps Canada for 'extrajudicial' stance over Zahra Kazemi's caseCanada's Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew said this week that his country will further limit diplomatic contact with Iran to back demands for justice in the case of Kazemi. "We have decided to constrain our bilateral relations with Iran until Iranian authorities are prepared to deal with this affair in a serious and credible manner," Pettigrew said. - 5/22/05

Caviar and the Caspian SeaThe Caspian Sea is the main body of water in the world that contains a large numbers of Sturgeons, the fish that its eggs are publicly known as Caviar. -Bahman Aghai Diba - 5/21/05

UK ponders talking with Hamas and HizbullahThe British government is considering a major Middle East policy switch that would mean engaging directly and openly for the first time with the militant groups Hamas and Hizbullah, who are expected to make significant gains in elections in the West Bank and Gaza and in Lebanon. -Guardian - 5/21/05

Unseen Pictures, Untold StoriesU.S. newspapers and magazines print few photos of American dead and wounded, a Times review finds. The reasons are many -- access, logistics, ethics -- but the result is an obscured view of the cost of war -Los Angeles Times - 5/21/05

US generals say Iraq outlook 'bleak'US military commanders from both Iraq and Afganistan, in a series of briefings and interviews over the past week, gave downbeat assessments of the situations in both countries. -CSM - 5/21/05

Iran flexes its 'soft power' in IraqGrand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shiite leader, never meets with American officials. But when Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi arrived in Iraq this week, the revered Iranian-born cleric threw open his doors -CSM - 5/20/05

Top official stresses US commitment to EU-Iran negotiationsAt a hearing of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations today, a senior administration official emphasized the President’s commitment to the ongoing EU3 negotiations, and a peaceful solution to the current Iranian nuclear solution, while praising the Iranian-American community. -NIAC - 5/20/05

Iranian FM terms talks with Iraqi officials "satisfactory" Kharrazi highlighted the need for the Iraqis to promote national unity and solidarity, stressing that he had told the officials of various Iraqi groups, including the United Iraq Alliance, that the future of the country depends on the unity of all groups. - 5/20/05

Fateful Triangle – United States, Iran and Nuclear IssueIran and United States were close allies during the reign of Raza Shah Pahalvi. After the 1979 revolution, the relationship changed to active hostility. Since then the relationship between the two has become hostage to mutual distrust. Active military involvement of US in the region especially in Afghanistan and Iraq, the two countries bordering Iran brought the Iranian question to the forefront. -Defence Journal - 5/20/05

From Darth to diplomatTHERE IS a spring in the step of the State Department these days. ''I feel it," says Nicholas Burns, the new undersecretary for political affairs. ''There is a feeling of excitement in this, believing that State is back at the center." -Boston Globe - 5/20/05

Iran dissidents deny abuse claimsThe HRW report says that the release of a group of dissident Peoples' Mujahideen members from Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison during Saddam Hussein's last year in power provided, for the first time, a direct window into conditions inside the group's camps. -BBC - 5/20/05

Kuwaiti women gain, Islamists lostWHEN the Kuwaiti National Assembly (parliament) met Monday, few expected the session to make history by granting women full political rights. -Amir Taheri, NY Post - 5/20/05

What's 'American' About the American Israel Public Affairs Committee?Of all the U.S. lobbies, few wield more influence than the pro-Israel interest groups. According to some estimates, there are about 500 national and local organizations that collectively make up the pro-Israel lobby. And of those, AIPAC arguably carries the most weight. -Antiwar.com - 5/20/05

Iran and China survey ground for aerospace cooperationIran started its scientific aerospace cooperation with China, one of the world's poles in aerospace technology, following the establishment of its Aerospace Organization in 2000, that is a state body, functioning under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. - 5/20/05

Iran Says it Will End the Suspension of Its Nuclear ProgramIran says it will end the suspension of its nuclear program, despite upcoming negotiations with European leaders. In the U.S., the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing Thursday to talk about how to handle the situation. - 5/20/05

Neocons' Pet Iranian Revolutionaries Accused of TortureAn Iranian rebel group that is aggressively campaigning for Washington's support as part of a "regime change" strategy in its homeland has committed serious abuses, including torture and prolonged isolation, against dissident members, according to a leading human rights watchdog. -Antiwar.com - 5/20/05

Iran Says Slain Journalist's Case Still OpenIranian judiciary spokesman Jamal Karimi-Rad said in Tehran yesterday that the dossier of Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, who was killed in state custody in Tehran in June 2003, remains open and would be reexamined on 25 July - 5/19/05

Iran won't reverse nuclear plan, but may delayIran will not back down on resuming nuclear activities opposed by the West but may wait for a few weeks if talks with European powers go well, chief negotiator Hassan Rohani said on Wednesday. -Reuters - 5/19/05

Straw, Rice Back New European Nuclear Initiative With IranBritish Foreign Secretary Jack Straw says he and his French and German colleagues will meet Iranian officials next week in another effort to convince Tehran to curb its nuclear activities. Mr. Straw discussed the initiative in talks late Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. - 5/19/05

Obstacles to Mideast Democracy Debated at US CongressObstacles to spreading democracy in the Middle East were a key topic of discussion at the U.S. Congress this week. An Iraqi politician, a former Israeli cabinet minister and human rights campaigner, and experts, were among those offering ideas about what the United States and others can do to help reformers maintain momentum for change. - 5/19/05

Iran, Iraq issue joint statementIran and Iraq stressed the importance of promoting the level of bilateral relations and cooperation in political, economic and security fields due to deep-rooted historical, cultural and religious ties between the two nations. - 5/19/05

Iran wants significant incentives for a dealIran and the European Union will not break their impasse over restraining Tehran's nuclear development program unless the Europeans offer significant incentives like a deal for 10 nuclear reactors, a top Iranian negotiator said Wednesday. -IHT - 5/19/05

Behzad Ranjbaran Named SPAC Composer-in-ResidenceBehzad Ranjbaran has been named Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s Composer-in-Residence for 2005, and two of his premieres will be performed at SPAC this summer for SPAC’s 40th anniversary season, SPAC President and Executive Director Marcia J. White has announced. - 5/18/05

Unity avowed on Iran after Iraq splitThe United States and Britain vowed on Tuesday to remain united in curbing Iran's nuclear programs and avoid a repeat of the rift between the Bush administration and its European allies over Iraq. -Reuters - 5/18/05

Riccardo Zipoli's Photos of Iran at Tehran’s Silk Road GalleryLast week at the invitation of the Italian Embassy Cultural Center and The Silk Road Gallery, I went to the opening of the exhibition of most interesting photographs by the well known and distinguished scholar Professor Riccardo Zipoli. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 5/18/05

Milad Tower to Become Tehran SymbolThe newly built 435 meter Milad Tower is predicted to replace the long-time symbol of Tehran, the Azadi tower. Experts are also suggesting for the registration of the Tower as an Iranian national heritage. - 5/17/05

The People’s MovementMehrangiz Kar is a renowned Iranian human-rights lawyer and writer. In the January 2003 issue of the Journal of Democracy, she laid out a concise and powerful case against Iran’s theocratic constitution, detailing the structural impediments that make reform within the current constitutional framework impossible. -NRO - 5/17/05

Karzai Warns Heavy-handed US Troops as Riots SpreadPresident Hamid Karzai insisted the Kabul government will veto US military operations after a week of hugely destructive anti-American rioting left Afghan cities and towns in flames and hospitals overflowing with casualties. -Independent - 5/17/05

Iranian car hits end of the roadProduction of Iran's most popular car, which was modelled on the 1960s Hillman Hunter, has come to an end after nearly forty years. -BBC - 5/17/05

New round of EU-Iran trade talks kicks off in BrusselsThe European Union and Iranian officials began the seventh round of negotiations of a trade and cooperation agreement (TCA) in Brussels on Tuesday morning, aiming at strengthening economic and trade cooperation between the 25-member European bloc and the Islamic Republic. - 5/17/05

A Small Party Growing Fast: An Interview with Jack LaytonMany Iranian-Canadians feel that Canada is our second home after living here for 10, 15, 20 years, yet many of us are still deeply tied to our homeland. As an Iranian, I am interested in learning how you can help us improve democracy and freedom in Iran? -Saeed Soltanpour - 5/17/05

Health Official: 60,000 AIDS/HIV patients in Iran Sixty-thousand Iranians are afflicted with AIDS/HIV, which is ten times the average global figure, said Deputy Minister of Health for Research Affairs Hossein Malek-Afzali in Bushehr on Monday. - 5/17/05

Germany keeps MKO on terrorist listThe German government has maintained its ban on Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO), keeping the Paris-based organization on the annual terrorist list of Germany's domestic secret service, Verfassungsschutz - 5/17/05

Iran's Nuclear Non-Proliferation TreatyThe United States and Europe believe Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. But Tehran says its program is aimed at producing fuel for peaceful purposes. - 5/17/05

Our pigeons and "a bird that wants to fly high" storyBut I want to share with you another story, the story of a bright 17 year old girl, who comes from Kerman and who wants to work for NASA. Last month she won a silver medal in Switzerland at the 33rd International Invention Competition held in Geneva. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 5/16/05

Iranians condemn election vettingMore than 500 politicians and intellectuals in Iran have announced that they will not take part in the presidential election next month. -BBC - 5/16/05

Uzbekistan: Anger as US Backs RegimeHeated criticism was growing last night over 'double standards' by Washington over human rights, democracy and 'freedom' as fresh evidence emerged of just how brutally Uzbekistan, a US ally in the 'war on terror', put down Friday's unrest in the east of the country. -Observer - 5/16/05

The West's Next Mistake?AS pluralist politics makes inroads in the greater Middle East, the outside world would have to look for new interlocutors there. -Amir Taheri, NY Post - 5/16/05

Speech at Conference on Media Reform Assails Right WingPBS's Bill Moyers: "An unconscious people, an indoctrinated people, a people fed only partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias, a people made morbidly obese in mind and spirit by the junk food of propaganda is less inclined to put up a fight - ask questions and be skeptical." -St. Louis Post-Dispatch - 5/16/05

Iran, against militarization of Caspian SeaIran's special representative for the Caspian Sea Affairs Mehdi Safari, speaking in Tehran on Monday, expressed opposition to militarization of the Caspian Sea and transfer of pipelines through the sea. - 5/16/05

Azeri defense minister: We have not given any military base to Iran's enemiesAzeri Defense Minister Safar Abiyev said in Tehran on Monday, "We have not given any military base to Iran's enemies." The Azeri minister who is heading a high ranking delegates made the remarks after meeting with his Iranian counterpart Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani where the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defense cooperation. - 5/16/05

UK Film at Cannes Says Terror Fears ExaggeratedA British documentary arguing U.S. neo-conservatives have exaggerated the terror threat is set to rock the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, the way "Fahrenheit 9/11" stirred emotions here a year ago. -Common Dreams - 5/15/05

Iran: near deal with EU on resuming nuclear workIran said on Saturday it was close to an agreement with France, Britain and Germany that would enable it to resume sensitive nuclear activities that have been frozen for months. -Reuters - 5/15/05

Iran leaves the world guessingIran's threat to restart the process of enriching uranium has kept the world guessing about its ultimate intentions and has put its opponents on the back foot again. -BBC - 5/15/05

Iranian Cultural Heritage Experts Aim at Neighboring CountriesThe ICHTO Research Center for Historical Monuments is planning to expand its activities to the neighboring countries of Iran to identify and restore the many historical monuments dating to the Achaemenid period scattered around and to provide a map of the Ancient Persia Empire. - 5/14/05

On this race-car driver's track, a new IranLaleh Seddigh stepped on the gas, cut off a truck and blasted her Peugeot between two other cars. "I prefer to drive by myself," she said, seeing her passenger steadying himself with a hand on the dash. "In case something happens, it's a very big responsibility." -NY Times - 5/14/05

Pro-war film spotted on CroisetteGeorge Bush and Tony Blair will whoop for joy. A strongly pro-war film has been premiered at the Cannes film festival - and it comes from Iraq. -Guardian - 5/14/05

A Terrorist Comes Home to RoostThe sudden and untimely arrival on U.S. territory of a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) asset and admitted terrorist, Luis Posada Carriles, poses an embarrassing challenge to the credibility of the Bush administration's war on terrorism. -IPS - 5/14/05

Brinkmanship in Iran’s nuclear potboilerYESTERDAY was an extraordinary day of threats and counter-threats, even by the standards of the three-year row over Iran’s nuclear programme. From the early morning, telephone calls rattled between London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Washington and Tehran, after Iran threatened to restart a controversial part of its work. -Times Online - 5/14/05

Amnesty International issues new report on USA’s "war on terror" detentionsThe report, Guantánamo and beyond: The continuing pursuit of unchecked executive power, details how hypocrisy, an over-arching war mentality, and a refusal to adhere to international obligations continue to characterize the US administration’s approach to detentions in the "war on terror". - 5/14/05

Annan Urges NPT Review Conference to Get SeriousA month-long conference at the United Nations on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) has reached the mid-point amid growing concern it may end in failure. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is urging the 188-member conference to take its job seriously and speed up the pace of work. - 5/14/05

Moves to defuse Iran nuclear crisisIranian and European officials yesterday were trying to arrange a high-level ministerial meeting in the hope of defusing the crisis provoked by Tehran's threats to restart suspended nuclear experiments. -Financial Times - 5/14/05

The teahouses of Esfahan seduce Iran’s malcontents, youth, and travellersWhen ancient Persian scribes reflected on Esfahan, they wrote Efahan nesf-e jahan: “Esfahan is half the world.” The city in Central Iran remains the country’s most shimmering jewel, filled with Persian seductions, and during both of my recent trips to Iran I found it hard to stay away. -Straight, Canada - 5/13/05

North Korea, Iran Raise Stakes In Nuclear CrisesThe stakes are rising in the world's two nuclear-arms crises. North Korea says it is using a nuclear reactor to produce weapons-grade material and plans to expand its atomic arsenal. And Iran says it may resume some suspended activities Washington says could be used to produce bomb-making material in the future. - 5/13/05

High School Attack Video Pulled from InternetRahgozar is of Iranian decent, and his father says his son has endured name-calling like "Saddam Hussein" and "Bin Laden." The family has hired an attorney, saying that the school should have done a better job of protecting the teenager. -CBS 5 - 5/13/05

Petronas Will Not Pull Out of Iran ProjectMalaysia's national oil company Petronas will not pull out of a joint-venture project to develop a $2 billion dollar gas field in Iran despite the Petronas chief's doubts about the deal, news reports said Friday. -Forbes - 5/13/05

Iranians hold their noses as they pick new presidentIranians may have to hold their noses when they go to the polls in next month's presidential election. This is only partly the result of a new craze for surgical nose jobs among Tehran's fashionable youth. -Guardian - 5/13/05

Mystery man behind the party of GodThe power of Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah is very real. He is the undisputed leader of what the Americans, Israelis and many other governments call a terrorist organisation. But in Lebanon the man who has been secretary general of Hizbullah for the past 13 years is hailed as a great resistance fighter. -Guardian - 5/13/05

The Iranian gameIsraeli experts monitoring Iran's "nuclear diplomacy" assume the Iranians are playing a game of nerves. Tehran continually explores the limits of patience in Europe and Washington, but is careful not to cross any red lines which would propel the Iranian nuclear issue into the UN Security Council. -Ha'aretz - 5/13/05

Apocalypse SoonRobert McNamara is worried. He knows how close we’ve come. His counsel helped the Kennedy administration avert nuclear catastrophe during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Today, he believes the United States must no longer rely on nuclear weapons as a foreign-policy tool. To do so is immoral, illegal, and dreadfully dangerous. -Foreign Policy - 5/13/05

Nothing to gain from taking Iran to UN, says Hans BlixFormer director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Hans Blix, expressed doubts if anything will be achieved by taking Iran to the UN if it restarts its fuel cycle program, suggesting it could prove to be counterproductive. - 5/13/05

Bush Backs Europeans' Tough Line on IranFrance, Germany and Great Britain say Iran could face serious consequences if Tehran follows through on a threat to resume processing uranium for nuclear fuel. The tough talk is supported in Washington. - 5/13/05

Iran: A close shave connected traveler to people eager for answers about USI was at the bus station in Shiraz, slumped in an orange plastic chair. I'd been in Iran for a week and was getting frustrated. Few locals wanted to talk to me, let alone offer the hospitality that I'd heard about from other travelers -- whisked off to family dinners, thrust into wedding ceremonies, or even offered someone's daughter to marry. None of that for me. -Sun-Sentinel - 5/12/05

Top clerics blast Iran regime as vote nearsTwo of Iran's most senior dissident pro-reform Shiite clerics have hit out at the Islamic regime ahead of next month's presidential election, accusing hard-liners of failing to deliver on revolutionary promises of fundamental freedoms. -AFP - 5/12/05

Rafsanjani: Continuation of Iran-EU3 dialogue best option"The sound strategy is that we should continue talks with the Europeans; and Europeans and we should be patient to build a sort of confidence which can enable us to carry out the enrichment," said Rafsanjani in an interview with reporters after formally registering for the 9th presidential elections. - 5/12/05

Khatami: Iran expects talks with Europe to become more seriousMaking the remark during talks with a Malaysian delegation headed by Prime Minister Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi, he said the talks should ot be used as an instrument to obstruct Iran's nuclear activities with an aim of preventing Tehran from gaining access to atomic technology. - 5/12/05

Iraq Insurgency United by Opposition to USSince the defeat of Iraq's army by a U.S.-led coalition in 2003, a shadowy group of insurgents has mounted almost daily attacks against coalition forces and their Iraqi allies. - 5/12/05

11 Nations Cited for Violating Religious FreedomA U.S. panel has issued its annual report on international religious freedom, naming 11 nations as serious violators. The commission added Uzbekistan to the list this year and removed India, where it says improvements have been made recently. - 5/12/05

Real ID Act Gets Makeover, Proposes Sweeping ChangesMany immigrant rights and civil rights organizations including the National Immigration Forum and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lobbied strongly against the Act. They refer to it as a “sucker-punch to immigrant communities” and an infringement on privacy. -NIAC - 5/12/05

Europe on alert over Iran nuclear ambitionsEuropean powers are poised to call an emergency meeting of the board of the UN's nuclear watchdog after an escalating dispute with Iran about its nuclear projects. -Guardian - 5/12/05

India chasing Caspian region energyKazakhstan has offered India's ONGC Videsh a choice of one energy block for exploration. Kazakhstan has offered two exploration blocks in the lucrative Caspian region out of which India will select one, reports 'Times of India, today. - 5/12/05

Seymour Hersh: Iraq "Moving Towards Open Civil War"The King of Jordan, along with, of course, the Saudis and the Egyptians who see what's going on in Iraq right now as an existential threat in this sense – that they believe the United States is making a terrible mistake by letting much of Iraq fall into the hands of the – of what they consider to be Iranian Shia. They see the Irianian influence spreading south, and for the Sunni -- those are Sunni countries, that's a devastating effect that hasn't happened before. -Democracy Now - 5/12/05

BMW to focus on Iran as a primary regional marketGerman automobile manufacturing giant BMW said Wednesday that it forecasts sales to increase sales to over 13,000 units in the Middle East in 2005 and has picked Iran as one its primary regional markets in the region. - 5/12/05

US mulls move as Iran and North Korea stand firmWith Iran and North Korea threatening to raise the stakes in their twin nuclear stand-offs, the possible simultaneous collapse of diplomatic efforts on both fronts is driving the Bush administration to reassess its options, focusing debate on containment and possible military strikes. -Financial Times - 5/12/05

The New College of California Study Tour to IranIn July of this year, Jerry Dekker, instructor of Humanities at New College of California, is leading another trip to Iran for students, faculty, staff and friends of New College of California. Jerry, fluent in the Persian language, has lived for several years in Iran and recently returned from the Islamic Republic with a group of New College students. - 5/12/05

Iran, the West and the NPTWhile details of the five-month-long talks on Iran’s nuclear programme between Tehran and the European Union, represented by Britain, France and Germany, have been kept secret, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi’s speech at the United Nations conference to review the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) on 3 May gave an inkling of the reason for a continued stalemate. -Dilip Hiro, MEI - 5/11/05

Iran: Global Skills Desperately Needed For BamThe city of Bam and its 2000-year-old citadel may be in Iran but the skills to rebuild this jewel of Iranian heritage has to come from around the world. From architects to archeologists, geologists to seismologists, countless international experts have come forward but more are needed to rebuild the city, said Eskandar Mokhtari, head of the project to salvage the citadel ruined by a massive earthquake in 2003. -AKI - 5/11/05

Rafsanjani joins Iran leader raceHe said Iran was facing "destructive tensions that prevent the development of the country" and threats to "rights and fundamental freedoms - in what many observers said was a clear reference to religious right-wingers. -BBC - 5/11/05

Defiant Iran plans nuclear revival The Iranian government threatened to provoke a full-blown international crisis yesterday by confirming that it is to resume its suspended nuclear programme. -Guardian - 5/11/05

Egypt: Suspects Sent Back Face TortureScores of alleged Islamist militants have been sent back to Egypt, where they have faced torture and serious mistreatment, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The United States is among the countries that have rendered such suspects to Egypt. - 5/11/05

EU Diplomats: Iran Risks Sanctions For Nuclear ActivitySenior officials in Britain, France and Germany, the three European Union countries negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program, are warning the Islamic Republic that it faces international sanctions if it does not stop plans to resume nuclear activity. - 5/11/05

Iran: Reports of Ethnic Violence SuppressedThe Iranian government should immediately release Yusuf Azizi Banitaraf, an Iranian journalist of Arab descent, and allow independent journalists and human rights monitors to report on a government crackdown on protests in the southern province of Khuzistan, Human Rights Watch said today. - 5/11/05

Neocons Exploiting Domestic Unrest in Iran?Amid rising tension between Iran and the United States, a major U.S. human rights group said Tuesday that at least 50 people were killed during week-long protests in southwestern Khuzestan province last month and urged Iran to permit independent journalists and rights monitors to go to the strife-torn region across the border from Iraq. -Jim Lobe, Antiwar - 5/11/05

Iranian Students End Sit-In, Economists Urge ChangeStudent members of the Office for Strengthening Unity (DTV) ended on 10 May a sit-in they began at Tehran's Amir Kabir University the day before, to protest against increasing restrictions in universities and threats to freedom in Iran, Radio Farda reported the same day. - 5/11/05

Rome to Host International Conference on Saving BamRome will be hosting an international conference on Bam Salvation Project on May 10 and 11, in which the 15-year plan for restoration and salvation of Bam Citadel will be presented and more than 70 suggested projects will be analyzed. - 5/10/05

Iran's booming animation industry In an attempt to challenge the West's cultural domination, Iranian television has been making Islamic cartoons, some of which it has started exporting to the wider Muslim world. -BBC - 5/10/05

Inside storyAn Iranian playwright's story of life behind the razor wire is part of a new theatre work, writes Jill Stark. -Age, Australia - 5/10/05

Amidst Doubts, CIA Hangs on to Control of Iraqi Intelligence Service The CIA has so far refused to hand over control of Iraq's intelligence service to the newly elected Iraqi government in a turf war that exposes serious doubts the Bush administration has over the ability of Iraqi leaders to fight the insurgency and worries about the new government's close ties to Iran. -Common Dreams - 5/10/05

Iran 'to resume nuclear activity'Iran says it will resume uranium enrichment activities within the next few days, in a move which could put talks with Europe in jeopardy. -BBC - 5/10/05

Afghanistan: Taliban Radio Back On The AirIn April, residents of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar were able to hear again Shari'a Zhagh (Voice of the Shari'a) -- the name used for Kabul's Radio Afghanistan during the Taliban rule between 1996 and 2001. - 5/10/05

America's Shame, Two Years on from "Mission Accomplished"Two years after "Mission Accomplished", whatever moral stature the United States could claim at the end of its invasion of Iraq has long ago been squandered in the torture and abuse and deaths at Abu Ghraib. -Robert Fisk, Independent - 5/10/05

France presses Iran over uranium enrichment plansFrance urged Iran on Tuesday not to carry out a threat to resume uranium enrichment-related activities, which the European Union and the United States fear could be a step towards developing nuclear weapons. -Reuters - 5/10/05

Iran To Resume Some Enrichment-Related Activities Within DaysIran said yesterday it will resume uranium-enrichment-related activities "in the next few days." U.S. officials have previously said Iran should be referred to the UN Security Council if Tehran pulls out of its deal with the European Union to suspend nuclear-fuel activities. - 5/10/05

Tehran Art Scene: Farshid MesghaliLast Friday with a few friends we went to see the very interesting and bright colored works of Farshid Mesghali at Tehran’s Golestan gallery. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 5/10/05

Badgering the NPTSecretary of State Condoleezza Rice didn't bother to address or even attend the Seventh RevCon being held this month. Instead, she sent some mid-level State Department weenie you've probably never heard of named Stephen Rademaker to instruct the conferees. -Antiwar - 5/9/05

President Talabani: Iraqis are indebted to IranIraq's President Jalal Talabani heaped flattering praise on Iran Sunday night, saying the Iraqis feel indebted to its eastern neighbor because of the assistance they received during the rule of former dictator Saddam Hussein. - 5/9/05

Iran's electricity imports outstrips exportsManaging Director of Power Production, Transmission and Distribution Company (TAVANIR) said in Tehran on Sunday that Iran's electricity import from neighbouring countries is 500,000 kw/h more than its exports - 5/9/05

Iran's gasoline imports to top dlrs 4.5 billion this yearHossein Kashefi said that the figure was dlrs three billion last year. The total refining capacity is 40 million liters daily where as the gasoline consumption is estimated to exceed 64.5 million liters daily this year. "Hence, we have to import 24.5 million liters daily" - 5/9/05

Biblical Prophecy and Christian ZionismThe Christian right, generally speaking, embraces religious Zionism---not simply support for the modern Jewish state, but a certain view of the past, present and future based on a Bible-centered understanding of history and a prophetic vision of the future. That entails, in bare outline, the following narrative. -Counterpunch - 5/9/05

Afghan assembly backs close U.S. ties-Karzai spokesmanMost Afghans support President Hamid Karzai's bid to have long-term security ties with the United States, the president's spokesman said after a gathering of more than 1,000 chiefs and regional leaders on Sunday. -Reuters - 5/9/05

First Neolithic Site of Gilan DiscoveredA joint team of Iranian and Japanese Archaeologists working in the northern province of Gilan have discovered a Neolithic site, which is the first of the period and the most ancient of the province to be found so far. - 5/8/05

Sassanid Skeleton Rises from Bolaghi GorgeIranian and French archaeologists have discovered an adult male skeleton and a clay pot in a one-hectare graveyard in the historical site of Bolaghi Gorge, in Fars Province. - 5/8/05

"Critical situation" for Iran: Says RafsanjaniChairman of the State Expediency Council, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, said in Tehran late Saturday new international, regional and internal circumstances have all put Iran into a "critical situation". - 5/8/05

Will Conservatives Dominate Iran's Election?The men and women who wish to compete in the Iranian presidential election will begin registering on 10 May. After five days, the 12 members of the Guardians Council will begin to examine the applicants' qualifications. This is part of the Guardians Council's constitutional responsibility to supervise elections. - 5/7/05

Iran-India gas project in political wing: FICCI Sources at the Federation Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) said Iran-India gas pipeline project is now in the political plane. "Given the sensitive nature of the project, nothing concrete could be said now," said Ambika Sharma, an FICCI senior director. - 5/7/05

Iraq Clouds Blair VictoryThe invasion of Iraq rebounded a little on the government of British Prime Minister Tony Blair to dent his majority as he returned to a third term as prime minister. -IPS - 5/7/05

Iran's tickets for 2006 World Cup games sold out: FIFAThere are no longer World Cup tickets available for some 24 countries, among them Iran, Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy, France, Netherlands and England, the vice-president of the 2006 World Cup Organizing Committee, Wolfgang Niersbach, announced in Frankfurt on Saturday. - 5/7/05

People in Tehran’s Laleh ParkLast week, with a few minutes between appointments, I and a researcher went to Laleh Park, which is in the center of Tehran, to take a look around. There, in the middle of the very tall trees, one can find refuge and cool off a little from the afternoon heat. Many young people had the same idea and had found their way there too. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 5/6/05

The First SparkIt was midnight, or perhaps early morning when I woke up from a deep sleep. There was this compulsive urge to get up and write. The urge was felt in every cell of my body. Writing has been the greatest love of my life; the ideal lover. It was an amazingly strong temptation. -Roya Monajem, Tehran - 5/6/05

Iran Wants to Continue Nuclear Talks with EUIran's foreign minister says his country is ready to continue talks on its nuclear program with the European Union. The question of Iran's nuclear ambitions is threatening the outcome of a U.N. sponsored non-proliferation conference. - 5/6/05

NIAC Phone Campaign H.R. 282/S.333 ‘The Iran Freedom and Support Act’Proponents of a tougher policy are pressing Congress to compel President Bush to take a more hawkish stance on Iran. Currently, the legislation has 168 co-sponsors in the House and 18 co-sponsors in the Senate, as well as the active support of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). - 5/6/05

Afghan president calls for talks on U.S. tiesPresident Hamid Karzai has summoned hundreds of representatives from across Afghanistan for talks that will include the sensitive issue of a strategic partnership with the United States, a presidential official said on Thursday. -Reuters - 5/6/05

Little known treasuresSome four hundred miles south of Tehran - en route to the ancient capital of the Shah of Shahs. Arts correspondent Nicholas Glass reports on the ancient city of Persepolis. -Channel 4 News, UK - 5/6/05

The Smoking Gun on White House DeceitNever in our wildest dreams did we think we would see those words in black and white-and beneath a SECRET stamp, no less. For three years now, we in Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) have been saying that the CIA and its British counterpart, MI-6, were ordered by their countries' leaders to "fix facts" to "justify" an unprovoked war on Iraq. More often than not, we have been greeted with stares of incredulity. -Counterpunch - 5/6/05

Basell sell-off excludes IraniansOil giant Shell and chemicals firm BASF are to sell their joint plastics making venture Basell to a group of investors for 4.4bn euros -BBC - 5/6/05

Insurgent Attack Challenges Iraq's Newly Resurgent KurdsIraqi insurgents have carried out one of their deadliest attacks to date in the heart of Kurdish-administered northern Iraq. So is the insurgent attack a direct challenge to the Kurds' resurgence and how will the Kurds respond? - 5/6/05

Mystery over Iranian MG Rover bidConfusion surrounds the intentions of three Iranian carmakers reported as forming a joint venture to take over MG Rover and its Longbridge car plant. -BBC - 5/6/05

Prospective Presidential Candidates To Register In IranRegistration of prospective candidates for Iran's next presidential election is scheduled to begin on 10 May and continue for five days. The Interior Ministry will forward this information to the Guardians Council, which will screen the applications until 24 May. - 5/6/05

Nuclear Fundamentalism and the Iran StoryYears from now, when historians look back at agenda-building for a missile attack on Iran, they should closely examine a story that took up the USA's most coveted space for media spin -- the upper right corner of the New York Times front page -- on the first day of May 2005. -Common Dreams - 5/6/05

US offers grants to help oppose Iran's clericsA tender notice posted on the US State Department website is soliciting bids for grants totalling $3m (€2.3m, £1.57m). It notes that the Iranian government may not apply because current US sanctions prohibit funding for official purposes, but these may be waived for non-governmental organisations. -Financial Times - 5/6/05

Reporters Without Borders: Holy city of Qom is hell for bloggersReporters Without Borders today condemned a crackdown on cyber-journalists and bloggers in the southern city of Qom where Mojtaba Lotfi, who is serving a nearly four-year sentence for articles he posted on the Internet, is gravely ill in prison and where local courts are harassing two bloggers, Farid Farid Modaressi and Mohamad Reza Fathi. - 5/5/05

Pentagon analyst accused of spying for Israel lobbyMr Franklin's arrest is a serious blow to the group of neo-conservative ideologues who worked for the under-secretary of defence for policy, Douglas Feith. They played an important role in taking the US into the Iraq war, and have since then advocated regime change in Iran. -Guardian - 5/5/05

U.S. Seen as Unaccountable in Iraqi Civilian Deaths Iraqi civilians who have suffered from U.S. military operations face steep obstacles in obtaining compensation for the deaths of their loved ones or material damage, human rights analysts say. -Reuters - 5/5/05

US 'blocking Iran plastics deal'Iran's National Petrochemical Company says it is being excluded from buying a major Dutch plastics maker by US political pressure. -BBC - 5/5/05

Basra's intrusive Islamists reject Iran's theocracy as too tolerantSheikh Assad al-Basri says there's no need to worry that he and his Islamist militia intend to recreate an Iranian-style government in Iraq. For the local representative of rebel cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, Iran's theocratic state is far too liberal for his tastes. -SF Chronicle - 5/5/05

Iran's tourism industry poised for robust growthIran's travel and tourism demand is set to grow by 6.6 percent for the next ten-year period (2006-20015) topping the list of Middle East countries, according to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). - 5/5/05

Afghan Opium Harvest Fuels Political, Social UneaseIn 2003, the United Nations estimated more than two million people in Afghanistan, about 10 percent of the population, planted opium poppies. Last year they produced more than 4,300 tons of opium, a staggering 90 percent of the world's supply. - 5/4/05

Afghan girls kick down old barriersFrom the corner of a Kabul basement, next door to a barber shop, come high-pitched and most unusual sounds. A small posse of Afghan girls shout "heey-ya!" as they practice karate jabs, kicks, and punches. -CSM - 5/4/05

Iran vows to pursue nuke plans, slams U.S., IsraelIran vowed on Tuesday to press ahead with nuclear activities that could be used to make weapons and accused the United States and Israel of threatening international peace with their own atomic arsenals. -Reuters - 5/4/05

US general warns of forces strainThe top US general, Richard Myers, has warned that ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan could limit the ability of the US to fight another war. -BBC - 5/4/05

Bye-Bye, Bush Doctrine: It's back to deterrence"The United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most dangerous weapons." This excerpt from his "Axis-of-Evil" State of the Union of 2002 is the heart of the Bush Doctrine. -Patrick J. Buchanan - 5/4/05

Iran: Nose Job Capital Of WorldIran's strict Islamic dress code has backfired in at least one big way. Some young Iranian women are more obsessed with their appearance than their counterparts in the West. -CBS - 5/4/05

Report urges U.S., Israel to consider pre-emptive attack against TehranJERUSALEM – With Tehran announcing it will shortly resume some nuclear activities in spite of ongoing negotiations with European countries, a private report that was issued to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon urging an American or Israeli pre-emptive strike against Iran has been gaining some steam here. -WorldNetDaily - 5/4/05

Iranian FM addresses NPT review confab (full text)Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi on Tuesday addressed the 7th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT) at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The full text of his address is as follows: - 5/4/05

UN Urges Controls On Nuclear TechnologyTwo top UN officials today called on states to agree quickly on a new system of safeguards to protect against nuclear proliferation and ensure the use of nuclear energy. - 5/3/05

Jimmy Carter: Erosion of the Nonproliferation TreatyAs the review conference of the Nonproliferation Treaty convenes in New York this month, we can only be appalled at the indifference of the United States and the other nuclear powers. This indifference is remarkable, considering the addition of Iran and North Korea as states that either possess or seek nuclear weapons programs. -IHT - 5/3/05

Iran readies reply to warnings about arms programIran was expected to deliver a strong defense of its nuclear energy plans on Tuesday after the United States and others warned Tehran not to use its facilities as a cover for atomic weapons programs. -Reuters - 5/3/05

Iranian FM: Iran concerned over slow pace, fruitless nuclear talksDuring his meetings with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, his Australian counterpart Alexander Downer and Luxembourg Deputy Foreign Minister Nicolas Schmit held on the sidelines of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in New York, Kharrazi said Iran must witness a considerable progress in that regard. - 5/3/05

Inspecting Iran's nuclear hideawayThe unearthing of nuclear facilities in Iran, concealed from the outside world for 18 years, has reinforced the United States' suspicion of the Islamic state, but is it too late for international arbitration? -BBC - 5/3/05

Tehran Art Scene: Ali NedaieAli Nedaie was the most interesting artist last week whose large works were on display at the Aria gallery. I found his works most striking. He has been a member of artistic Group 30+ since its formation five years ago. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 5/2/05

Iran, India hold 4th round of strategic dialogueIran and India, in the 4th round of mutual strategic dialogue here Sunday underlined firm determination of the two countries to follow up the agreements on implementation a gas pipeline project from Iran to India and Pakistan. - 5/2/05

EU3 warns of ‘managed crisis' over Iran ambitionsEuropean officials have warned of a “managed crisis” in Europe's dialogue with Iran over the country's nuclear ambitions, after Iranian negotiators said they would consider resuming part of the uranium enrichment process suspended since 2003. -Financial Times - 5/2/05

An old treaty for a new world?The entry into force of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT in March 1970 represented a milestone for a world living in the shadow of the nuclear bomb. -BBC - 5/2/05

Finally, a film sheds Muslim stereotypesFrom Arab sheikhs and Muslim terrorists to belly dancers and mysterious women swathed in burqas, Hollywood depictions of Muslims don't generally ring true. But a film opening this Friday may offer a less clichéd view of Muslims, even as it embellishes history. -CSM - 5/2/05

U.S. Targets Iran, North Korea at Nuke Arms TalksU.S. officials want a global disarmament conference starting on Monday to condemn Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs, but most nations complain Washington is doing too little to scrap its arsenal. -Reuters - 5/2/05

Soccer: Fan shutout not a problem for Japan, says FujitaWorld soccer's governing body has ordered North Korea to hold the June 8 qualifier, scheduled to be played in Pyongyang, behind closed doors at a neutral venue in another country as punishment for crowd trouble that followed their 2-0 defeat by Iran on March 30. - 5/2/05

Anti-Nuclear Demonstrations Held in New YorkA coalition of groups opposed to nuclear weapons marched in New York today, just before talks start at the United Nations to review the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. -New York Times - 5/2/05

Rowhani reaffirms Iran's decision to use peaceful nuclear energySigning the additional protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by Iran is considered as the best sign of confidence-building and also Iran's best commitment to peaceful nuclear activities, he noted in his meeting with the Undersecretary of Indian Ministry of External Affairs Rajiv Sigri. - 5/2/05

Zooming in on commonersMohsen Makhmalbaf claims that he had never seen a movie till he made one in 1982. But the man who never sat in a dark hall to watch the images on the screen is now using the "mirror'' of cinema to show pictures and start a conversation with people beyond his own country. -The Hindu - 5/2/05

Features: Khatami & Rafsanjani: Similar Goals, Different LegaciesIntroduction: On the evening of the 23 May 1997, Iran’s then president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was patrolling the ballot boxes at the Ministry of Interior in order to prevent electoral fraud. This, even if only a myth, is said to have taken place after that month’s presidential election. Many analysts held that moderate Mohammad Khatami would emerge victorious only if the ballots were not manipulated -Amir Ali Nourbakhsh - 5/2/05

Relics of the nuclear arms raceThis week sees the start of a five-yearly review of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and fireworks can be expected. -BBC - 5/1/05

From the 'axis of evil' to the axles of Rover, Iran looks to the WestThe news that Iranian companies could be interested in buying what's left of the collapsed MG Rover has raised plenty of eyebrows. That Iran, part of George Bush's "axis of evil", could be the final destination for the car maker shows how low it has sunk, was the typical response. -Independent - 5/1/05